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Mothership (album)
Encyclopedia
Mothership is a compilation album by English rock group Led Zeppelin
, released by Atlantic Records
and Rhino Entertainment
on 12 November 2007 in the United Kingdom, and 13 November 2007 in the United States. It was released on the same day that Led Zeppelin's entire catalog became available in digital
stores, including the iTunes Store
. The cover was created by artist Shepard Fairey
.
The songs included were chosen by the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant
, Jimmy Page
and John Paul Jones
, and represent eight of the band's nine studio albums. In addition to a two-disc set, the album is also available in both "deluxe" and "collector's" editions with a DVD featuring varied live content from the previously released Led Zeppelin DVD
. A 4-LP vinyl package was also released on 26 August 2008.
On 8 November 2007, a temporary XM radio station, XM LED was made in order to support the album. It was scheduled only to last six months, and ceased its operations on 5 May 2008. The channel was actually dropped from the XM lineup on 7 March 2008. It is now up and running again and features Led Zeppelin music 24/7.
The album debuted at #4 in the UK Albums Chart
, with 58,000 units sold, and debuted at #1 on the Official New Zealand Albums Chart and stayed there for several weeks. The album also debuted at #7 on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling about 136,000 copies in its first week. The album has sold almost 1,700,000 copies in the U.S and 4,000,000 copies worldwide, it has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.
|-
!align="left"|Country
!align="left"|Position (2008)
|-
|align="left"|Germany
|align="center"|43
Additional personnel
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, released by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
and Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
on 12 November 2007 in the United Kingdom, and 13 November 2007 in the United States. It was released on the same day that Led Zeppelin's entire catalog became available in digital
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
stores, including the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. The cover was created by artist Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey
Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
.
The songs included were chosen by the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, and represent eight of the band's nine studio albums. In addition to a two-disc set, the album is also available in both "deluxe" and "collector's" editions with a DVD featuring varied live content from the previously released Led Zeppelin DVD
Led Zeppelin (DVD)
Led Zeppelin is a double DVD set by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2003 and the United States on May 27, 2003. It contains live concert footage of the band spanning the years 1969 to 1979...
. A 4-LP vinyl package was also released on 26 August 2008.
On 8 November 2007, a temporary XM radio station, XM LED was made in order to support the album. It was scheduled only to last six months, and ceased its operations on 5 May 2008. The channel was actually dropped from the XM lineup on 7 March 2008. It is now up and running again and features Led Zeppelin music 24/7.
Track listing
Chart and sales performance
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, with 58,000 units sold, and debuted at #1 on the Official New Zealand Albums Chart and stayed there for several weeks. The album also debuted at #7 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling about 136,000 copies in its first week. The album has sold almost 1,700,000 copies in the U.S and 4,000,000 copies worldwide, it has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Rock Classic Rock (magazine) Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of... |
UK | Top 20 Reissues of 2007 | 2007 | 2 |
Sales chart performance
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums Chart | 6 |
| Japanese Albums Chart | 7 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 17 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 15 |
| Hungarian MAHASZ Top 40 Albums Chart | 40 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Top 50 Albums Chart | 1 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 9 |
| UK Albums Chart | 4 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 3 |
| Australian ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart | 8 |
| US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart | 7 |
| US Billboard Comprehensive Albums Chart | 7 |
| US Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart | 1 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Walloon) | 12 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Flemish) | 15 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart | 12 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 15 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 7 |
| Polish Albums Chart | 24 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 4 |
| German Albums Chart | 4 |
| EU Billboard Top 100 Albums Chart | 1 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 10 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Danish Albums Chart | 9 |
| World Albums Chart | 3 |
| Argentinian Albums Chart | 11 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 38 |
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable"|-
!align="left"|Country
!align="left"|Position (2008)
|-
|align="left"|Germany
|align="center"|43
Sales certifications
Personnel
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
- John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single... - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
– acousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and electricElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
Additional personnel
- Dick Barnatt – photography
- John C. F. Davis – remasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Ian Dickson – photography
- Carl Dunn – photography
- Shepard FaireyShepard FaireyFrank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
– art direction, design - David FrickeDavid FrickeDavid Fricke is a senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine, where he writes predominantly on rock music. In the 1990s, he was managing editor before stepping down.-Background:David Fricke is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
– Liner notes - Peter Grant – executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
- Bob GruenBob GruenBob Gruen is an American photographer known for his rock 'n' roll photographs.Gruen was born in New York City. He began photographing rock stars with Bob Dylan and served as John Lennon's personal photographer during his time in New York City. Gruen is best known for his photograph of Lennon...
– photography - Ross HalfinRoss HalfinRoss Halfin is a British rock and roll photographer. He began his career working for Sounds magazine in the 1970s, shooting various artists on the punk scene including The Clash, The Jam, The Sex Pistols, 999 and The Adverts...
– photo research - Neal Preston – photography
- Christian Rose – inlay photography
- Peter Simon – photography
- Ian StewartIan Stewart (musician)Ian Andrew Robert Stewart was a Scottish keyboardist, co-founder of The Rolling Stones and inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "Rock and Roll" - Laurens Van Houten – photography
- Chris Walter – photography
- Baron Wolman – photography
- Neil Zlozower – photography